AnakChan, thanks for these impressions. I am just wondering, is the stage wide and airy because the sound is thinner like on an ak100 or do you still have some nice note weight and full sound?

If you're referring if it sounds "distant" not really. To be honest, I'm still not confident of what I'm hearing is really soundstage difference. I'd really wish I could grab hold one of the other Tokyo HF members to pop by to have a listen.

Anyway, I'm biting the bullet and ordering one straight from the store. They'll deliver to my home. They also offer some kind of discount (dunno what it's for) but I'll take any discount they give :D. The case is still unavailable for order, so I can only get the screen protector & a USB digital out cable.

Edit: One thing I forgot to add, the touch screen performance did annoy me a little today. It wasn't slow to act on my side and tap gestures. However, prior to playing with the ZX1 I was playing with Sony's new up-coming 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 Xperia.

If you're referring if it sounds "distant" not really. To be honest, I'm still not confident of what I'm hearing is really soundstage difference. I'd really wish I could grab hold one of the other Tokyo HF members to pop by to have a listen.

Anyway, I'm biting the bullet and ordering one straight from the store. They'll deliver to my home. They also offer some kind of discount (dunno what it's for) but I'll take any discount they give :D. The case is still unavailable for order, so I can only get the screen protector & a USB digital out cable.

Edit: One thing I forgot to add, the touch screen performance did annoy me a little today. It wasn't slow to act on my side and tap gestures. However, prior to playing with the ZX1 I was playing with Sony's new up-coming 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 Xperia.

I never knew that a seller had any power over customs charges, once it has left their shores ???

Sometimes well-meaning sellers declare the package below actual value, for example sending one of these as "electronic toy, $20" or whatever. If the customs agent is lazy, he will not check it further and just send it on to you without adding any charges, as the value is too low. (And if it gets lost in transit, good luck getting more than $20 back from the delivery company.)

If he isn't lazy, then he will look further, maybe into the actual receipt if it is enclosed, or have you come by and show all the paperwork. Also, in my experience the agent will likely know how to use Google, and hence how find the usual price for an item. Technically a very well-meaning seller might provide a falsified receipt, but I suspect under most juristictions this is quickly drifting into tax fraud with a lot of potential legal troubles for everyone involved. (And if the player is broken, the receipt says you only paid $20 for it...)

I actually did listen to the F880 today, but only the pink one was available for testing so I didn't use it that long :D - not long enough for impressions unfortunately.

I'm sure all the other customers must have been thinking / saying, "Look at that man, listening to the pink player" ! ( What an odd & sad world we live in.....if I had the opportunity to listen, and the only option was a pink one, i'd take it !! )

Sometimes well-meaning sellers declare the package below actual value, for example sending one of these as "electronic toy, $20" or whatever. If the customs agent is lazy, he will not check it further and just send it on to you without adding any charges, as the value is too low. (And if it gets lost in transit, good luck getting more than $20 back from the delivery company.)

If he isn't lazy, then he will look further, maybe into the actual receipt if it is enclosed, or have you come by and show all the paperwork. Also, in my experience the agent will likely know how to use Google, and hence how find the usual price for an item. Technically a very well-meaning seller might provide a falsified receipt, but I suspect under most juristictions this is quickly drifting into tax fraud with a lot of potential legal troubles for everyone involved. (And if the player is broken, the receipt says you only paid $20 for it...)

Either way, I feel these things just are not worth it.

Come to think of it, there's a US seller on Amazon that I use, that always states a cheaper price on the package. Different kettle of fish for an expensive player ! Like you say, not worth the risk !